Federer feels he's invincible, once again

Federer feels he is invincible again. That's the warning he sounded for all those who thought they cracked the Swiss legend, and critics who wrote him off.

Written by Indo-Asian News Service

Read Time: 3 mins

New York:

Roger Federer feels he is "invincible" again. That's the warning he sounded for all those who thought they cracked the Swiss legend, and critics who wrote him off.

Federer after beating Andy Murray in US Open to end his Grand Slam drought this year, is just relieved to enter his zone, where he belonged all these years.

"I felt like I was invincible for a while again," said Federer after breezing through three sets against Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to win his fifth straight US Open championship and 13th Grand Slam title, one short of Pete Sampras's record collection.

"I don't understand redemption quite that well, but I don't think that's what it is. I don't feel like I needed this win particularly to prove myself."

"It's just being happy to be on top. So things are not looking that bad like everybody's talking about."

Federer has been hurtling down from one loss to another this season and the biggest setback was when Rafael Nadal snatched his proud possession for five years - Wimbledon - after an epic clash.

End of Federer era; time for change of guard, the critics said.

"I was aware of all that was being said."

"Sometimes it annoys you. Because all sorts of crazy people started writing me and trying to reach me, telling me I need some help either mentally or physically," he said.

"That's the way it goes. People come out of the closet and think they can start helping me now. It's just a pain."

Even as his world was crumbling down, the champion, for whom defeat meant only Nadal since opening his Grand Slam account in 2003, pondered what has gone wrong as he longed for that magic touch which made him "invincible."

Flashes of that touch showed in the semifinals here when Federer showed Novak Djokovic and the world that he is far from finished.

"I always knew that if I were to get one Slam under my belt, especially the last one, things weren't looking that bad, like everybody was talking about," he said.

"For me, this sort of puts them to rest a little bit and calms down the phones at my parents' a little bit, which I'm happy about."

But more importantly Federer has shrugged off the vulnerability cloak. The self-belief is back.

"One thing's for sure. I'm not going to stop at 13. That would be terrible."

"Its nice to compare five US Opens to five Wimbledons. Not many can do that."

Sixth-seeded Murray was expected to put up tougher fight going by the he dispatched off Nadal in the semifinals.

But Murray, who was trying to become the first British man to win the U.S. Open since Fred Perry in 1936, was up against a man who was fighting his inner demons, rather than his opponent.

"I came up against, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game. He definitely set the record straight."

"He told me that it was a great tournament for me. I said that I agreed with everyone that he'd had a terrible year."